A megapixel is one million pixels. It is commonly used to describe the resolution of digital cameras. For example, a 7.2 megapixel camera is capable of capturing roughly 7,200,000 pixels. The higher the megapixel number, the more detail the camera can capture. Therefore, the megapixel count is a significant specification to look for when buying a digital camera.

Stay in the action. From outdoor adventures to family events, don’t miss a moment with the world’s first waterproof, shockproof, interchangeable lens camera*. The Nikon 1 AW1 is built for life with astonishingly fast autofocus, rugged construction and an intuitive interface. From the epic to the everyday, it delivers high-quality images.

Capture stunning images everywhere life takes you.

Photo of a family in a colorful tent with the Nikon 1 AW1 on a strap around the dad's neck. Life doesn’t have a replay button. You need a camera that doesn’t make excuses. The Nikon 1 AW1 delivers high quality images anywhere with its tough, waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof construction. Don’t miss the perfect shot with the world’s fastest continuous shooting frame rate (approx. 15 fps with AF)*, and features like Slow View and Live Image Control. Shoot Full HD video and share your images wirelessly using the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter. This is the only camera you’ll need for wherever life takes you.

Durability and performance for adventure

The world’s first rugged interchangeable lens camera is here. At last, stunning images from a camera you don’t need to baby. From kayaking to mountain climbing, keep the rugged Nikon 1 AW1 by your side. Waterproof to 49 feet without a bulky protective housing—carry it rafting, swimming or snorkeling. Freezeproof to 14°F and shockproof to 6.6 feet, it’s ideal for snow sports and biking. Geotag images with the built-in GPS to share on GoogleEarth™ or other GPS-based social networking sites.

Adventure won’t wait, capture important memories before they're gone. Life doesn’t have a replay button, but the Nikon 1 AW1 does. Have you ever missed a photo because you pressed the shutter a split-second too late? Never again! Slow View Mode allows you to slow a clip of action and then select a perfectly timed shot. Get creative with the easy-to-use Live Image Control by simply sliding the control bar to preview effects such as Background Softening or Motion Blur.

Don’t wait to share your excitement

Stay social with wireless sharing to your smartphone or Wi-Fi™ enabled devices. Share your adventures at the speed of life. The Nikon 1 AW1 isn’t just a rugged photo-taking companion; it’s ready to share your creations as well. Upload high-quality creative images and videos anytime, anywhere, to your smartphone, tablet or other Wi-Fi enabled device using the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter (sold separately), then share to social media sites, email or text to friends and family.

Life’s exhilarating moments captured on video

Shoot dramatic Full HD Video from the middle of the action, not the sidelines. Shoot Full HD 1080p video where no interchangeable lens camera ever could before—underwater, in freezing temperatures, and in the middle of the action, so don’t hold back. The Nikon 1 AW1 is ready to multi task, shooting video while simultaneously capturing high-quality still images. Don’t worry about interrupting your video, just depress the shutter-release button at any time during HD Video recording.

Add creativity and detail with Creative Modes and Underwater Controls

Adventures take effort. Show off those rewarding moments using Selective color, Miniature Effect and Easy Panorama; that make creating artful images and sweeping landscapes easy. Underwater White Balance delivers rich beautiful colors in the ocean, lake or the family pool.

Looking for variety? Two dedicated underwater lenses provide protection for your wet sports, but for everyday use, the full line of regular 1 NIKKOR lenses are compatible, giving you even more ways to express yourself through inspired images.

1 NIKKOR AW 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6

Your rugged go-to zoom lens. Be ready for any shot with this versatile waterproof, shockproof lens designed for the Nikon 1 AW1. Capture stunning wide-angle landscapes and sharp medium-telephoto images with the 11-27.5mm (30-74mm equivalent on 35mm format) zoom range. The broad zoom range means fewer lens changes, keeping you in the action.

The minimum focus distance is the shortest distance at which a lens can focus. In the case of digital SLR cameras, the distance to the subject is measured from the focal plane mark on the camera body, not from the front of the lens.

A megapixel is one million pixels. It is commonly used to describe the resolution of digital cameras. For example, a 7.2 megapixel camera is capable of capturing roughly 7,200,000 pixels. The higher the megapixel number, the more detail the camera can capture. Therefore, the megapixel count is a significant specification to look for when buying a digital camera.

Allows a delay between pressing the shutter release button and the actual firing of the shutter. Commonly used to give photographers time to put themselves in the shot and to take photos without having to physically have their hands on the camera during exposure.

The ISO speed setting dictates sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO speed, the more sensitive the film or digital sensor is to light. Higher ISOs have the effect of noise in an image. The actual ISO at which the noise occurs varies from camera to camera. Low ISOs are generally used for brighter lighting conditions and high ISOs are often used for low light or action shots.

Refers to the option for the user to override the internal light meter in the camera to either OVER or UNDER expose based on middle/18% gray. This is especially useful when photographing either extremely white/bright scenes or when in very dark/dimly lit scenarios.

The various modes in which the camera will measure light. Most DSLRs and some advanced point and shoots have the ability to meter an entire scene (matrix/evaluative) or a specific point (centerweighted/spot)

A flash that is embedded or part of the camera. Built-in flashes are found in both DSLR and Point & Shoot cameras. Although practical because of their small size and ease of use, built-in flashes are often ineffective and/or unflattering as a main source of light.

The types of files that a particular camera produces. All cameras output JPEG images, but some of the more sophisticated models will shoot in RAW mode. RAW Image Formats will vary based on manufacturer.

Refers to the actual physical size of the imaging sensor in the camera. A sensor that has the same dimensions as a 35mm frame of film is considered to be "full" frame. Other smaller sensor sizes are described in terms relative to a "full" sized sensor. (e.g. an APS-C 1.5x crop sensor)

The individual pieces of glass that form the overall optical construction. Most lenses have between four and eleven elements to bend the light rays to ensure a perfectly formed image appears on the light sensitive surface, such as a film or CCD. The elements are arranged in groups and may be seen in specification sheets as, for example, 6 elements in 4 groups. That configuration may have two single elements and the other four grouped in pairs.